I am in college right now...at home, I have a 2-3 mile commute each way (suburbs...backroads mostly). At school, it's about a 1/2 mile commute to class, again, mostly backroads and sidewalks on campus.

I assume a hybrid bike is the way to go - going off curbs doesn't warrant getting a mountain bike, correct? I don't need something that is going to be a speed demon, I just need a reliable bike.

How much should I be planning on spending? I will be using the bike just about every day with the above distances. I expect I should find a decent bike to suit my needs for $300 to $500. Am I mistaken?

Thanks for your help